Pedal-lock for pianos.



J. T. MAYER,

PEDAL LOOK FOR PIANOS.

urmouxon FILED JUNE 21 9.

Patented Jan 11,1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIAN T. MAYER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO J. & C. FISCHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PEDAL-LOCK FOR PIANOS.

To all whom a: may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIAN T. MAYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Pedal-Lock for Pianos, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a pedal lock for musical instruments. s

The principal objects of the invention are to provide an automatically operating lock for one of the pedals, preferably the soft pedal, which will. be set automatically in a simple and convenient way, and which will be released by a slight depression of the pedal so that it will not be necessary to have any extra levers, false pedals, or other devices for releasing it; also to provide a construction in which when the soft pedal is de pressed by the depression of the practice pedal the soft pedal will also be automatically locked and will not be unlocked by the release of the practice pedal; also to provide exceedingly simple and easily operated means for accomplishing these results.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the pedals of a piano showing a specific embodiment of this invention, with the parts in unlocked position; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the practice and soft pedals depressed; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the practice pedal is released and also showing in dotted lines how the soft pedal is released.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the piano is shown as having the usual soft pedal 10, loud pedal 11, and practice pedal 12. The soft and loud pedals as usual have connections (not shown) with mechanism in side the case, but the practice pedal has no such connections. The practice pedal is used whenit is desired to play softly for a considerable period and is provided with an arm 13 thereon projecting over the soft pedal so that whenever the practice pedal is depressed the soft pedal will be depressed also. Pivoted on an axis 14 located under one corner of the soft pedal is a lock 15 therefor having a lug 16 located mainly at one side of the pivot even when the lock is in locking Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 21, 1909.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Serial No. 503,280.

position, and adapted to project over the edge of the soft pedal to lock it. Projecting out from the lock on the same side of the pivot as the lug is an arm 17, which in the present instance is of suliicient weight in itself to tip the lock over normally into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Also projecting from the lock on the opposite side of the pivot is an arm 18. Located in position to be engaged by the practice pedal 12 as it descends 1s a spring or arm 1:) so arranged that when the practice pedal depresses it, it will engage the upwardly proecting end of the arm 18 as indicated in Big. 2 to depress the latter to its limiting position. These parts are so proportioned that this action will take place immediately after the soft pedal reaches the level of the bottom of the lug 16 when the latter is up. Consequently the depression of the practice pedal depresses the soft pedal in position to be locked and also moves the lock into locking position. As long as the practice pedal remains down the parts remain in this position, and the practice pedal holds the softpedal down, but when the practice pedal is released it moves up to the position shown in Fig. 5 and the soft pedal immediately starts up and engages the lug 16, and therefore is locked in depressed position. Now if it is desired to release the soft pedal it is unnecessary to directly operate the arm 17 or any other external mechanism, as the lock can be released simply by depressing the soft pedal a little farther, which will relieve the lug 16 from its engagement with the soft pedal and permit the arm 17 to tip it over by gravity into the dotted line position in Fig. 3. For this purpose the lock is shown as having a space 20 below the soft pedal to permit the latter to be depressed slightly. When this action occurs of course the soft pedal will be raised by the usual springs or other devices, not shown. These are the only functions of the practice pedal.

The pivoted lock may be supported in any desired way, but it is shown herein as carried by a bracket 21 mounted on the frame and projecting under the soft-pedal. This bracket is shown as supported by rods (shown in cross section) secured to the case.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I am aware that many modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction shown and described, but

TV hat I do claim is 1. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor pivoted under the pedal, extending upwardly along the side of the pedal, having a lug at the top adapted to engage the top of the pedal when the pedal is depressed to a certain point, and having an arm extending outwardly from the lug and normally tending to swing the lock by gravity away from the pedal to a position in which the lug will not engage the pedal, whereby the further depression of the pedal will release the lock.

2. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor pivoted under the pedal and having a lug adapted to engage the top of the pedal when the pedal is depressed to hold the pedal, said lug being located at one side of the pivot when in locking position, and an arm projecting from the lock on the same side of the pivot as said lug and constantly tending to hold the lock in unlocked position and to return it thereto.

3. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor pivoted under the pedal, extending upwardly along the side of the pedal, having a lug at the top adapted to engage the top of the pedal when the pedal is depressed to a certain point and having an arm extending outwardly from the lug and normally tend ing to swing the lock by gravity away from the pedal to a position in which the lug will not engage the pedal, whereby the further depression of the pedal will release the lock, said lock having an arm extending past its pivot and the opposite side of the pedal and means for engaging said arm to swing the lock in locking position.

t. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor pivoted under the pedal and having a lug adapted to engage the top of the pedal when the pedal is depressed to hold the pedal, said lug being located at one side of the pivot when in looking position, an arm projecting from the lock 011 the same side of the pivot as said lug and adapted normally to hold the lock in unlocked position and to return it thereto, a second pedal having an arm thereon adapted to engage the first named pedal and depress it, and a spring in position to be engaged and depressed by the second pedal, said lock having an arm on the side of the pivot opposite said lug in posi tion to be engaged by the spring, whereby the depression of the second pedal will dopress the first named pedal and swing the look into locking position. a

5. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor, a second pedal, means whereby the depression of the second pedal will depress the first pedal, and means whereby the depression of the second pedal will cause said lock to move to locking position.

(5. The combination with a pedal, of a lock therefor, means for automatically moving the lock away from locking position when the pedal is depressed below a certain point, a second pedal, means connected with the second pedal for depressing the first pedal, and means in position to be engaged by the second pedal when depressed for causing said lock to move to locking position.

7. The combination with a soft. pedal and a second pedal, of a lock for the soft pedal, means connected with the second pedal for depressing the soft pedal when the second pedal is depressed, and means operated by the second pedal for releasing the lock so as to allow it to move to unlocking position upon further depressing the soft pedal if the second pedal is in raised position.

8. The combination with a soft pedal and a second pedal, of a lock for the soft pedal, means movable with the second pedal for depressing the soft pedal and moving the lock to locking position when the second pedal is depressed, said lock being adapted to remain locked when the second pedal is released, and means for unlocking the soft pedal upon further depressing it.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JULIAN T. MAYER.

Vi itnesses Tnos. MCCONKEY, JOHN Born. 

